Mechanical Angel
by BlueFairyKino
Summary: During the events of the fight against Egil, a mysterious High Entian woman shows up, her arms that of a Machina. Alvis, remembering the appearance of a child that resembled this woman, seeks her out, the group following, their curiousity leading them. Who knows? This woman could be a valuable asset to their fight...or the opposite.
1. Prolouge: Memories

The days passed on. Everything was always the same. M.O.N.A.D.O. always did the same work, the way it was programmed.

What the scientists hadn't realized was that it had started to form a conciousness...which would begin to show when it met another.

One of the scientists who believed in Klaus's dream brought along his daughter. She loved watching the scientists work, and bonded with them.

One day, the girl was exploring the facility after sneaking away from her father. After a while, she found a large computer with wires and pipes connecting to many machines. Her long, wavy light blonde hair flowed around her as she examined everything, before a voice almost made her faint from shock.

[Who are you?]

Her light blue eyes looked around, her pale skin only becoming paler. She spoke in an innocent voice. "Who...who's there?"

[I am all around you.]

Realization set upon her, and her long white dress flowed around her legs as she stepped closer to the computer. White flats clacked against the floor as the girl looked at the computer curiously. "You're ta com? You have a voice?"

[Do most machines not?]

She shook her head, and the voice was silent for a while before sounding again. [Who are you?]

The girl blinked before smiling. "I'm Araia. And what do ta people here call you?"

[...I do not believe I have been given a human name. My title, however, is M.O.N.A.D.O.]

Araia frowned. "No human name, huh..." She smiled. "Well, how 'bout I think of one! It may take a while, but..."

The machine seemed to think before responding. [If that is what you wish to do.]

Araia grinned. "Well then, that means I'll have ta come and see you again! Um...if that's alright, of course..."

If machines could smile, M.O.N.A.D.O. would be beaming right now. [Of course it is.]

* * *

><p>"Alvis!"<p>

Some of the wires not connected to the machine lifted to acknowledge the girl who had rushed in. [Do you speak of me, Araia?]

The girl nodded. "Ya! I remembered that I had a friend back home named Alvis. He was precious ta me, and since yer precious ta me too, I'm gonna call you the same name!"

[...I like it.]

Araia beamed. "I hoped ya would, Alvis!"

[I guess that makes me a male, as well?]

"I suppose it would!"

* * *

><p>By now, the two had grown extremely close. Alvis was...confused, however, about something he hadn't realized when he first met her. So the next time Meyneth (who knew of Araia's visits and had also become close to Alvis) came in, he spoke.<p>

[Meyneth, may I ask you something? It concerns Araia...]

The woman glanced at the computer. "Of course." He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. [She is a young one, is she not?]

"Yes."

[So...why is she not on earth?]

Meyneth frowned. "Well...Araia is very sick, too sick to be on earth. Her father hopes that, during our research, we'll find something that might lead to a cure."

[...]

Alvis was silent. This was the reason she was here?

[...may I assist in the search?]

Meyneth blinked as the AI continued. [I...wish for Araia to get better. She is precious to me.] The woman grinned. "Of course...I'm sure she'd be very happy to know she had you helping out."

* * *

><p>"..."<p>

Alvis stared at the sky. He had been thinking of the past, his time with Araia, and...

He shook his head, quietly getting up before staring at the grave he had made for her. Everything from the last world was gone...as was she.

"...goodbye, Araia."

The AI quietly walked away, heading down Valak Mountain, back towards Eryth Sea and Alcamoth...

...not knowing a woman stood nearby with long, wavy light blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin, wearing a flowing white dress and white heeled shoes. Large wings sat on her head, showing her as a High Entia, but her arms were that of a Machina.

"Alvis..."

She walked towards the grave. "He does not know...oh, how I wish I could tell him..."

The woman shook her head. "No...not yet. Not until Meyneth awakens can I reveal myself."

_"Lady Araianria! We are continuing towards Sword Valley!"_

Araia looked back to see a High Entia guard and a Machina motioning to her. "Alright!" The girl inhaled, exhaled, then followed the two.

_Soon, Alvis...until then, wait for me. Even if you are not aware...wait for me._


	2. Chapter 1: Lucerna

**note to the person to reviewed: first of all, thank you! secondly, i...didn't actually notice the resemblance between araia and hylia until you mentioned it XD no, it's not intentional, araia's not really based on anything or anyone in a game/show/book/whatever.**

* * *

><p>"Has anyone seen Alvis?"<p>

Shulk peeked into the tower, where everyone else looked towards him...everyone except a certain seer, that is.

Dunban shook his head. "No, not since we started setting up." Melia frowned. "Did you all not notice?" The group looked to the princess, who seemed concerned. "When we arrived here, he seemed...sad."

The princess then got up. "I shall help you search for him, Shulk." Riki looked up. "Riki go too? Riki concerned for Alvis!" Shulk nodded, and looked at the rest. "You guys can hold down the fort until we're back, right?" The rest nodded, and the three then left to search for Alvis.

"...Riki see him! Oh...Melly right...Alvis look sad in front of stone pile."

Shulk and Melia looked to where Riki pointed, and they felt like their hearts were going to break. Alvis was sitting in front of a pile of stones with some small decor...something that could only be a grave.

Shulk walked closer. "...Alvis?" The seer jumped and quickly looked towards them (which made the three now able to see that his eyes were a bit swollen). He then slightly smiled. "Ah, it's just you three. I apologize if I worried you."

Melia looked down at the stone pile. "Alvis...is this...?" The man frowned and looked over at it, his normally calm and somewhat-emotionless eyes now sad. "Yes...a very good friend of mine is here. Her name was Araia..." Riki looked up at Alvis. "Ari gone because Mechon?" He shook his head.

"Araia was...very sick."

Melia frowned. "I apologize, Alvis...for interrupting you during..." Alvis dryly chuckled. "No, it is fine. Araia wasn't the type of person...who would want me to mourn over her for the rest of my life..." Riki smiled. "Ari sound like very nice homhom!" Shulk nodded. "She does. It sounds like you two were close."

Alvis nodded and looked back at the grave. "Indeed. Ever since we were children, we knew each other." Melia smiled gently. "I'm sure she's happy, and watching over you." Alvis nodded before the four began to walk back to the tower.

* * *

><p>"..."<p>

The mysterious woman watched from the edge of a cliff above where the group was. It was morning now, and she sat and observed as they continued towards Sword Valley. A sad look entered her eyes as she saw Alvis. _He still has no clue that I live..._

"Milady?"

Araia blinked and looked behind her as a High Entian guard (with very fancy armor, suggesting he was someone very important) walked up to her. "Lady Araianria, is that group a threat to us? They seem to be heading towards the fortress." Araia shook her head. "No, Merak. They search for a friend...I believe she was turned into a Face unit..." Merak nodded and was about to walk away, but then Araia looked at Shulk and noticed something.

"That boy...he holds the Monado."

The guard gasped and looked to where she was. "He does indeed...so, the man you mentioned..." Araia nodded. "That boy is his..." Merak frowned. "So...it has begun, then."

"I suspect it began a while ago."

A female machina walked up to them, her body grey and a light purple. Araia nodded to the woman's claim. "Indeed, Mayano. It began near the Bionis' knee, in Colony 9." Mayano looked down towards Dunban. "The black haired man was the previous wielder, correct? But now it is the boy..." Merak frowned. "Just like Zanza intended..."

Araia then seemingly floated up onto the cliff, now standing. "Merak, Mayano. We must reach the fortress before them." The two nodded, and they began their own trek to Sword Valley.

* * *

><p>The group was silent as they camped, mainly thinking about what they had witnessed. Fiora didn't remember them, but didn't fight them either...and the golden Face...<p>

Melia, meanwhile, was staring at a sleeping Alvis, still thinking about what she had found out yesterday.

"Melia, is somethin' wrong?"

The princess looked over to see Reyn, and practically the whole group looking at her. Shulk frowned. "Is it about..." The girl nodded.

Reyn blinked. "Y'know, I don't think you ever told us about what happened." Shulk inhaled deeply before sighing and revealing everything.

By the time he was done, the group was silent again. Sharla frowned. "That's..." Dunban looked at the sleeping seer. "It does sound like they were close..." Riki frowned. "Alvis seem very sad when speak about Ari. Riki feel sorry for him..."

Dunban then lightly smiled. "But she does sound like she was a good person. I would have loved to meet her." Melia nodded. "Indeed."

...

Much later, everyone but Shulk was asleep. He was still thinking about Fiora, and what had happened that day.

Rustling and what seemed to be quiet steps then entered his ears. Holding one hand on the Monado, the boy wondered if some Mechon were still prowling around after the attack.

"Calm yourself, Heir to the Monado. That sword will not work on me."

A High Entian woman then stepped out from behind some rocks. She had long blonde hair in two braids, pale skin, and wore a white dress on her body and a white and golden mask on her face, which covered her face. She walked as if she was floating above the snow, for her footsteps made hardly a sound.

Shulk removed his hand from the sword, but still looked at the woman. "Who are you?"

"...I am...Lucerna. And you must be Shulk."

The boy's eyes widened. "How do you-" Lucerna (Shulk doubted that was her true name, since she hesitated before saying it) put a finger to where her mouth would be. "Shh. You would not want to wake your companions, would you?" Shulk clenched his fists, but she had a point. It wouldn't do well to wake them up.

"As for your question...who has not heard of you? Shulk, Heir to the Monado, protector of the civilizations all over Bionis. You are well known in both Alcamoth and in Frontier village."

The woman then looked at the sleeping people around them. "And your companions...even the crown princess is one of your group." Lucerna even turned to Alvis, though Shulk thought he noticed her tense up a bit when she looked at him. "You all seem very close, from what I have seen." Shulk blinked. "Seen? Are you...?"

Lucerna shook her head. "No. I have been watching over you ever since you first arrived in Alcamoth. I sensed a strong power from you...though I assume a good amount was from the Monado. And so I watched over you, whenever you arrived...using this."

She concentrated, then a white pearl with a multicolored flame inside it formed in her hands. "This is the Visio Pearl...something I have owned ever since I was young. I can use a person's ether level to see where they are at that point, from their point of view."

Shulk frowned. "So you were spying on us?" Lucerna shook her head. "I only watched when I knew I must. I stopped the pearl's power when you left to Prison Island." Shulk relaxed a bit, relieved that she wasn't abusing this power of hers.

Lucerna then concentrated again, and the pearl vanished in a lightless flame. "I now must go...but Shulk, I leave you with a phrase a friend once taught me." Shulk couldn't see her face under the mask, but he was sure if he could, he would see a smile.

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. Believe in all you know, both there and not, and you shall reach beyond your limits."

With that, Lucerna walked away, her steps as silent as a ghost's. Shulk frowned. _What a strange woman... _He then thought about the words she left him with. They confused him now, but perhaps eventually, he'd learn their meaning...

He sighed, deciding not to think about it now. He sat, leaning against a nearby rock wall, and slowly drifted to sleep.


End file.
